


Dust and Gold

by FandomLastsForever



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate universe - K AU, Anime inspired, Attempted Kidnapping, Background Relationships, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Childhood Friends, Drinking, Elemental Magic, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Final farewells, Fire Powers, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gangs, Gun Violence, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inspired by Music, Kidnapping, Magic, Multi, Orphans, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychic Abilities, Royalty, Slow Burn, Supernatural Bonds, Swordfighting, Swords & Sorcery, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-02-29 20:32:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18785671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLastsForever/pseuds/FandomLastsForever
Summary: From the fires of the Mountain Glenn Incident, the city of Vale rose from the ashes to become a place of ingenuity, community, and potential. People are able to live freely as they wish, but all isn’t as great as it seems. Street gangs run wild, super powered beings lurk in the dark, and the only thing that keeps all hell from breaking loose are the of Vale. Though they aren’t as united as they could be. When the Green and Gold Kings disappear and the Colorless King passes away, tensions begin to rise among the clans. The only lead to the missing Kings is a transfer student from Sanctum Middle School by the name of Oscar Pine. Soon Oscar is being hunted down by Clans and gangs alike in a search for answers.As he tries to avoid capture, he’s joined by three strange individuals; Amber, the remaining member of the Colorless Clan tasked with finding answers; a Strain named Penny who is running from ATLAS, and a student from Signal Academy named Ruby Rose, who is heading her own investigation of the missing Kings on behalf of the Silver King.Can Oscar discover the mystery surrounding the missing Kings? Or will Vale fall down the same path as Mountain Glenn?





	1. Soldier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terms of the Chapter:
> 
> -Sword of Damocles: The source and embodiment of a King's power. Appears in the sky overhead whenever a King accesses their full abilities.  
> -Clan: A group headed by a King.  
> -King: An individual granted incredible powers. Has the ability to bestow powers onto others. Powers are unique to each King. Anyone can be granted the power and title of King.  
> -Aura: The manifestation of a person's soul and power. Color determined by what powers from what King a person uses. Note - Though rare, a few individuals can use more than one power, and thus emit more than one aura color.

**_ Nine Years Ago: Abandoned Urban Area _ **

Rain fell heavily upon the pavement as the smoke began to clear. Despite the dimly lit street and the debris, Qrow could see everything perfectly. The salt and pepper hair clinging to his opponent's face. The glowing blue of the power cells in his prosthetics showing through his soaked button up. The way his shoulders rose and fell in time with his panting. And the curve of the trigger on his gun. All this and more lit aflame beneath the glow of his Sword of Damocles. He basked in the warmth of its crimson glow, feeling the weight of the mythical blade's power pulse through his veins. Had this been any other King, things might have turned out differently. He'd probably lose pretty badly, or at least end in a draw.

But it didn't matter to him. He was down for a fight with anyone, anytime. It was all for the thrill.

"Gotta say," he snickered. "For a rookie King, you ain't half bad. But I think it's time you give up, Blue Buckaroo. You can't beat me."

His  opponent glared at him, standing up straight and pushing his hair back, revealing a small silver plate over his right eyebrow.

"It's James."

"Huh?" Qrow leaned forward, holding a hand to his ear. "Can't hear you over the sound of your defeat. Can you repeat that?"

The red in the sky became a gentle violet as Qrow's Sword was joined by a second. While his was broad, single-edged greatsword in design, with gears near the handle that ticked slowly away, this one was more elegant and slim like a rapier, with four swirling blue crystals near the hilt. And unlike his Red, this was a deep, frozen blue. Qrow stood up straight, staring down his opponent as his Aura surrounded him.

"My name is  James Ironwood. And I will not fall by your hand, Red King."

"So you're finally showin' your true color." Qrow reached behind him for his sword, preparing to fight at full force. "Didn't know you'd have some bite behind that bark, Jimmy."

"Bite your tongue," James growled, taking aim. "Or I'll happily remove it for you."

Qrow smirked, pushing his hair back. "Alright then. Come take it."

Before he had a chance to draw, James rushed forward, pointing his gun between Qrow's eyes. Qrow leaned back just in time to miss the bullet, watching as it melted away from the heat radiating off him. In a blink, he felt his body shift and he flew out from the immediate range of James's hands. Feathers emitted steam as he flew, cawing tauntingly at his opponent. He spun back around and shifted back, glowing bright red as he raised his sword over his head. James held up his metal arm, catching the sword in his hand just before Qrow could get a hit in.

"Not bad, Jim," Qrow grunted. "Didn't know you were that fast."

"The Blue King's Glyphs help a lot," James said. "Though without powers, I'd easily take you."

"Wish we coulda met before this then. Because I am sure you couldn't take me head on without your fancy glyphs." He licked his lips, pressing down harder and flipping over James, pulling the blade from the metal hand's grip. "King or no King, I could melt you down."

James turned and took a few more shots. "I can take a bit of heat."

Qrow laughed, watching the bullets melt mid-air. "You sure about that?" Qrow felt his Aura begin to flare up. "You strike me as more of a Winter Wonderlad."

James went in for a punch, only to watch in shock as his metal arm fell off his shoulder, turning to liquid upon contact with the pavement. Quickly he recovered, turning to kick Qrow with his left leg. Qrow put his sword away, leaning and ducking to miss the hits.

"Give up Jim. I'm better than you."

James smirked. "Better at taking hits, you mean?"

Qrow felt his body become heavy as a blue glyph appeared beneath him. Several more lined up, and Qrow was pulled along, sent flying into a nearby building. Another line and he went sliding again into another. And then another. When he almost flew past James again, he took his sword and stabbed it deeply into the ground, holding on tight as he began to skid to a stop. He looked at James, smiling wildly as the glyphs vanished.

"Seems I underestimated you," Qrow laughed, pulling the sword from the ground and running forward. "You got guts. Or, half of them at least."

"Like I haven't heard that before," James chuckled, bracing for impact. "What do you say we end this?"

"You took the words right out of my-"

**_"ENOUGH!"_ **

A green knife flew past them just inches from their faces. Qrow and James jumped back, several arrows embedding themselves in a circle where they'd just been standing. A burst of lightning sparked from the center, and when the light faded, two people stood in the its place. A man in green with dark black and grey hair, and another in gold with lilac eyes and a smug smile on his face. Qrow felt the heat vanish along with his Sword, standing up straight and crossing his arms in frustration. James's vanished just as quickly, and the sky was lit with a bright golden hue.

Taiyang Xiao Long, the Gold King, and Li Ren, the Colorless King.

 _Great,_ Qrow thought. _Now we're really in trouble._

Taiyang stretched his arms over his head, admiring the glow of his Sword amplified by that of the faded yellow one beside it before turning to Qrow, letting out a contented sigh.

"Good evening, Qrow," he said.

"Hey Tai." Qrow mumbled. "Hey Li."

Li looked between the two, eyes narrowed in disappointment. "Kings are supposed to keep order. And not fight between themselves. This fight is over."

"Seriously?" he grumbled. "I almost had him-"

"It's. Over."

"…Yes, sir."

James stood upright and put away his gun, bowing politely. "Gold King, Colorless King. It's an honor to-"

"No formalities," Tai groaned. "Save them for tomorrow's meeting. You're supposed to meet the other Kings."

"And instead of resting, you both made a mess of this area." Li gestured to the damaged buildings. "Be glad this area was evacuated for reconstruction, otherwise you could have hurt someone."

Qrow glanced around, taking in the amount of damage they'd done. Despite knowing it was abandoned and choosing this for the battleground, his heart began to sink as he took in the destruction. Ruined roadways filled with craters, half melted buildings and streetlights, a fire hydrant on fire (how the hell did we manage that? he wondered), and the remnants of James's metal arm on the ground.

_I went too far again._

Taiyang smiled softly and went over to him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey. Relax. We'll take care of cleanup, alright?" He raised his free hand, taking a deep breath. "Just breathe, Qrow."

Qrow closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting the stress melt away. A gentle breeze alerted him to the summon Tai was controlling, knowing it would fly around and repair everything by the time he fully calmed down. He heard the heavy footsteps of James and Li coming over to join them.

"I'm sorry," James said. "This fight was immature, and I behaved in a deplorable manner. I hope you can forgive me."

Qrow let out a sigh. "Not like I made it any better." He looked at James, feeling a sense of relief as he saw his arm unmelted. "Sorry about your arm."

James smiled, holding it up and waving it playfully. "At least it wasn't my leg, or we'd both be worse for wear." He looked between Li and Taiyang. "Still, my apologies. I shouldn't have behaved like I did."

Li nodded. "Try not to let it happen again. I'm the mediator King, but I don't like having to be. If I have to look after children, I want it to be my son. Not two full grown adults who should know better. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, literally," Qrow said, wincing when Li shot him a warning look. "I mean, yes Li."

"Absolutely," James agreed.

"Good." Li looked to Taiyang, managing a smile. "Can I count on you to finish up here?"

Tai nodded, picking Qrow up and throwing him over his shoulder. "Sure thing."

Qrow let out a squawk of annoyance. "HEY! Put me down Goldie Locks before I melt your face off."

"You can count on me Li."

"Then I'll see you all at the meeting tomorrow. Beacon Tower, noon. Don't forget." With a gentle nod, Li spun on his heel and vanished, the arrows and green knife along with him.

As Taiyang began to walk away, he looked back at James. "Hey. You want a ride back to your place?"

James smiled and nodded. "If it's not too much trouble- **OH MY GOD!"**

"There's a reason it's called 'Patchwork Dragon'!" Qrow smirked, watching as a summon in the form of a dragon lifted James up by the shirt and toss him onto its back. "Gold Clan summons are pretty fun, aren't they Jim? "

"Fuck you, Qrow!"

"Buy me dinner first, then we'll talk!"

Qrow burst into laughter as the dragon took off. Another lifted him and Taiyang gently onto its back and took off after the other. The rushing wind buffeted against him, drying him off and giving him a taste of freedom and serenity.

If this was how things would be like with Jim around, he was ready to welcome the new King with open arms.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Two Days Ago: East Side Vale _ **

**_"Is this really where they are?"_ **

**_"Trust me. Baby Bear is never wrong."_ **

Qrow stared at the building ahead of him from his perch on the roof. A faction of the White Fang was said to be stationed there, escorting illegal weaponry through the city toward the docks. Some of the members, who were cowardly enough to ask to be let go in exchange for the intel, said that the boss might have some insight on the missing Gold King, as he frequented the bookstore where the King liked to hang out. That was all the information they had managed to cleave from them.

It was better than nothing.

"Alright," Qrow sighed. "Roman, I'm counting on you to get everyone else inside." He leaned back, giving his arms a good stretch. "Don't let me down."

Roman nodded, adjusting his hat with his cane. "Don't you worry about a thing. Everyone should be in the building in 3…2…1…"

A window near the top floor shattered. Waves of heat radiated from it, flashing lights alerting to battle at hand. Through the smoke, Qrow could vaguely make out the silhouettes of Sun and his clones and the scraping of Reese's skateboard on the walls. The moment Junior burst into the room with the Malachite Twins, the battle was won. Roman laughed and reached into his bag, pulling out a grappling hook and taking aim.

"I'll see you over there," Roman said. "We'll have this all wrapped up in a jiffy."

Qrow nodded, watching as Roman set up a line and slid over to the chaos. The echoes of screaming could be heard even from his hiding spot. He hated leaving the heavy lifting to his crew, but it was the only alternative at the moment.

"This is bullshit," he muttered. "Harbinger isn't meant to go this far in their methods. Dammit all, why did we have to be pushed so far?" He turned around, feeling a tug on his sleeve from the tri-colored girl beside him. "What is it, Neo?"

Neo smiled, pointing to Qrow's necklace with the tip of her parasol.  Qrow couldn't help but smile at the gesture. As hard as it was to go through with this, he knew it was the only way to go about it at this point.

"Sometimes I just need a reminder," he sighed, giving her a pat on the head. "Thanks short-serve."

Neo stuck out her tongue and hopped onto the line Roman set, sliding down toward the chaos. Qrow's hand went to the cross, gripping it tightly as he tried to calm down. He had to keep a level head. It was the only way they were going to find Taiyang.

_Dammit Tai. Where are you?_

The flash of Yang's fire from the room signaled that things were clear. Qrow walked to the edge and jumped, shifting to his bird-form and gliding along the wind to the broken window. He flew in and landed on Junior's shoulder, assessing the damage. No one was dead, but a few thugs had a few decent bruises. Yang was still holding one of them up by the collar. Another had to be pinned down to the ground by Sage, Neptune, and Nadir. Bolin kept his staff trained on the ringleader, who was tied up and had the tip of Roman's cane directly under his chin. The rest of the team were stationed around the room, ready to take on anyone that tried to escape.

_Not bad. Not bad at all._

Qrow dropped from Junior's shoulder and changed back, burying his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket as he walked up to the man trembling before him. He leaned forward, his face only inches from the man before him.

"Heard you've been smugglin' shit," Qrow said. "And that you happened to be one of the last few people to see Taiyang Xiao Long alive. Now, I'm not a patient man. But I am willing to work with you." He cocked his head in Yang's direction. "My niece on the other hand…she isn't so willing to work with you. So make up your mind on who you wanna talk to. Because I want everything on your smuggling operation as well as what you did to Tai."

Yang turned her head, eyes glowing the same crimson as her aura as her hair lit aflame. The man began to cry, begging through broken sobs to live. Qrow rolled his eyes and backed up, looking over to Neo with a tired look on his face.

Neo nodded, stepping forward and leaning in close to the man, smirking as her eyes flickered in combinations of pink, white, and brown.

"Well?" Roman asked. "Does he know anything? Any little details at all?"

Neo stepped back, both eyes pink momentarily before the left switched to brown. She shook her head.

"Another dead end?" Arslan asked.

Scarlet shrugged. "We'll just have to look elsewhere."

Sun let out a groan of annoyance. "This sucks!"

Junior nodded, holding up his PDA. "At least we got the data on the smuggling ring. I can crackdown on this and have everything in our possession by the end of tomorrow."

"Let's go then," Qrow said. "We'll have to keep looking. We can't afford to waste anymore time. Leave these bozos for ATLAS to clean up and let's go."

Everyone let go of their targets, making sure they were either knocked out or tied up before leaving the room. The security had activated while they were fighting, closing down the elevators and shutting the gates blocking the halls. Yang stepped forward and took over leading everyone out, blasting the gates and melting them down to nothing but sludge. The way down took longer, but this way they were able to send a message to anyone watching.

_We will find Taiyang. And we'll burn anyone who gets in our way._

"Hey Yang," Sage called. "Slow it down, will you? You're pushing yourself too far."

"I'm not pushing hard enough," she replied. "I can handle a few security gates."

Qrow put a hand on her shoulder. "Stand down. We're almost out. I'll take it from here."

Yang looked at him in shock. "You sure you're up for-"

"I can handle a few security doors."

With a reluctant sigh, Yang calmed herself down and put her fire out. Qrow stepped forward, letting out a gentle chuckle. The tension in the air shifted, his body began to glow red, and with a single solid kick he sent the gates toppling down. The heat from impact set off the fire alarms, starting up the sprinklers and filling the halls with steam as the water fell on Harbinger.

"Looks like you'll have a lot of ammo," Sun teased, poking Neptune in the side.

Neptune rolled his eyes, lightly shoving Sun off him. "Shut up. It's not like we'll get to do anymore fighting here."

Qrow stopped, raising his hand. "Don't be so sure about that."

Before anyone could protest, two people flew past them, screaming at the top of their lungs. Qrow sighed and gave his arms a stretch. He'd expected as much. The moment the security system went off, the Iron General and his soldiers would come running. He looked back, quirking an eyebrow at the two men who'd crashed into the wall behind them.

"Dee! Dudley!" Qrow called. "You two alright?"

"We're fine," Dee groaned. "Careful boss. They brought both Schnees."

"And Coal," Dudley added.

Reese let out a cold hiss, pulling their skateboard from their back and setting it on the ground. "Damn traitor-"

"Slow down, kid," Roman warned. "We don't have the tactical advantage. And they outnumber us in terms of sheer numbers and fire power."

"You mean I'm just supposed to sit here and-"

Bolin reached out, putting a hand on their shoulder. "We'll figure something out."

"No need." Qrow turned around, smiling fondly at everyone around him. "We'll be using plan Mirror Broken. I expect you all to behave accordingly. Arslan!"

Arslan stepped forward, hand on her hip and knife hanging by a thread. "Yes boss?"

"Did you and Ro make sure the escape routes were set?"

"Did it before we even broke into the building."

"Good." He looked to Neo and winked. "Countin' on you, short-serve. You're the key to this one."

Neo saluted, winking back and sticking out her tongue.

"Alright. Let's go."

Junior pulled Dee and Dudley to their feet and Harbinger continued on their way.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Today: Signal Academy _ **

 

It was another boisterous day at Signal Academy. After nearly a month and a half of being there, Oscar seemed to find a rhythm that felt comfortable. Wake up, prepare for the day, go to class. Finish work for the garden club, go back to the dorm. Dinner, homework, bed. Rinse and repeat. No friends. Not exactly. Somehow he'd fallen into a spot between cliques. Everyone seemed to know him, and everyone seemed excited to see him. He had to admit it was a little odd.

But it did come with some perks.

**_"Hey, I forgot to make lunch today. Anyone have leftovers?"_ **

**_"Over here!"_ **

**_"Try some of this!"_ **

**_"Want some cookies?"_ **

**_"Thank you everyone. I really appreciate it._ **

Oscar leaned on his cane and smiled as everyone piled on the food. He felt bad for doing this, but he had to. His allowance didn't come in until tomorrow, and he only had enough left for dinner at the moment. Any extra cash he had on hand, he'd spent on the cane.

As part of the curriculum, all students were required to take classes on self-defense, with cane-based defense being the pride and joy of the academy. Every student had been administered one upon entry to Signal as part of their supplies, but his broke in the last class. He had to get a replacement. He was going to get the standard just like before, but this one had called out to him. It was retractable, with an ornate handle covered in vine-like detailing. On the top was a little crystal, laid over an emblem in the shape of a gear.

Something about it seemed…otherworldly.

"Thanks again, everyone," Oscar said. "I appreciate your generosity."

"You gonna join us for lunch today?"

He shook his head, picking up the lunch tray. "Afraid I can't. I have to hurry over to the greenhouse for weeding duty, and after that I have to go pick up some supplies at 'Dust 'til Dawn' for the festival."

The other students let out a sigh of annoyance as Oscar thanked them once more and hurried off. Normally festival duties were left to the president of the school's Culture Club, but she'd been gone for the last three weeks. The teachers assured everyone that it was just family matters, but Oscar couldn't help but wonder. Things seemed less cheerful without her around.

He shrugged it off though. He remembered her always saying they shouldn't worry about the dark. That everyone had to keep moving forward. So that was what he was going to do.

Oscar made it to the greenhouse and found his usual corner. As he ate he looked over the roster, smiling when he saw that the most of the chores had been done ahead of time. He wouldn't have to take up all the work for once.

"Let's see…Today's weeding and trimming the rose saplings before putting them in the new pots. That won't take long." He clapped his hands and looked to his bag. "Penny! Time to get to work!"

 **_"O_ ** **_lei o lai, Oscar! I'm combat ready!"_ **

His bag wiggled and opened itself up, allowing a small, puppet like android to crawl out of it. Ginger hair tied back in a pink bow, bright green eyes, and the most adorable freckles on her rosy cheeks. It was against school regulations to have personal androids outside of the dorms, but Oscar was sneaky. Penny always seemed to be able to avoid even the most nosy administrator.

Penny climbed up onto the nearest table, saluting cheerfully. "What are we doing today, Oscar?"

"We're working on the roses," he explained. "Can you start weeding them and trimming the old branches and leaves?"

"Don't you worry, Oscar my friend. I'll take care of them right away!"

Oscar watched her hurry over to the roses before turning back to his lunch, trying to finish it quickly. He considered taking a look by the electronics shop to create a bigger body for Penny, but it wasn't like he was going to be able to afford it. Not to mention he didn't know how she worked. He just found her one day in the bushes his first week there. There was no telling how delicate her hard drive actually was. How expensive. How complicated.

Nothing seemed to come easy anymore.

"If only things were as easy as moving roses from one pot to another."

"If what things were, Oscar?"

Oscar looked at Penny, shaking his head. "It's nothing Penny." He set the lunchbox down. "I'm done eating. Let's finish this up, then we're going to go to town to pick up some things for clubs. You like going to town, right?"

"Sen-sational!" Penny cheered. "O lei o lai, Oscar! Let's hurry! Let's hurry! I want to go to town!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming." He got up and scurried over to join her.

They had a lot of work to do.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Today: Downtown Vale _ **

 

It was far too cold inside the café. Melanie watched out the window, flipping the coin on her fingers absentmindedly as she waited for the signal. She didn't like being on guard duty, but it was a necessity. With the Spiders encroaching on Three Bears territory and the King search, everyone had to have their eyes open. And she and Miltia were the only ones who could cover the entirety of downtown.

"This is boring," she grumbled. "Mh?"

She narrowed her eyes, letting a grey hue cover her vision. Threads crisscrossed, zeroing in on a young schoolboy. He had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and freckled cheeks. Around his neck was a bandage styled scarf, on his shoulder was a ginger haired doll.

And on his leg, secured on a leather holster, was a very ornate old cane.

"Ah…how interesting."

She pulled out her phone and snapped a photo, sending it out to the others. She grabbed her frappe and hurried out the door. Her phone began to blow up with alerts from her sister and the others.

"Let's go teach that boy a lesson."

 

* * *

 

 

"Okay Penny. What else are we missing?"

"We need to stop by Tukson's Book Trade to pick up the new blank ledger books for the clubs."

"Seriously? I wish they'd have given me a cart or wagon or something for all this."

"Tukson's provides free carry cart rentals for students. Just show him your student identification card."

"Oh, nice. Thanks a lot, Penny."

Oscar adjusted his grip on the back, being extra careful not to let anything fall out. Fireworks, paint markers, bottles of glue, twine, and an inflatable Beowolf costume. It was a lot, but he could handle it all. He continued on his way, skipping lightly as Penny hummed her little song, pointing every so often to keep him on the right path. Every now and then he found himself humming along with her, enjoying the soothing sound of the bustling city. It was a little warm for January, but it was still pleasant enough.

He wished every day could be this peaceful.

**_"Hey you!"_ **

He froze, turning around just in time to see someone on a skateboard zooming toward him in a bear mask. They were carrying a large red baseball bat. He ducked just in time, barely missing by a hair. Oscar quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction of them, grabbing Penny and putting her in his breast pocket.

"Relax kid!" the masked assailant laughed. "It's a foam bat!"

"Foam or not," Oscar panted, turning a corner, "you shouldn't chase people with bats!"

He kept running, trying hard to avoid the attacker. But every time he made a turn, he could feel the area surrounding him getting warmer. Another person, this one wearing an open, sleeveless button up, was blocking the path. He had a monkey's tail twirling in circles behind him.

"Relax kid!" he laughed. "We just wanna talk!"

"Why me?!" Oscar screamed, turning into a nearby alleyway. He kept running down, trying not to panic. He had to get out of there. He had to get back to the school. Or find a police officer. Or-

Oscar stumbled, nearly bumping into a girl with mint green hair. He backed up, turning to see Bear-head and Monkeytail there. Several others stood with them, including a pair of twins in red and white. Oscar looked back to Minty, only to see she'd been joined by a grey haired lad and several people wearing spiders web designs on their clothes.

Today was not his day.

Bear-head raised their bat, pointing it at Minty. "What are you Spiders doing in our territory? This area is under strict control of The Three Bears, as part of Harbinger land. You ain't welcome."

"Relax, Chloris," Minty groaned. "We're just here for the brat. Lil' Miss and the rest of the Tribe have questions for him."

Monkeytail stepped forward. "Too bad. Our turf, our suspect."

The grey haired guy burst into laughter. "And just what are you little hot-heads gonna do, burn us? We can strike the fear of god into you and you wouldn't even know it until it was too late."

Suddenly, Oscar's vision began to darken. He felt like he was floating, slowly being surrounded by fire and evening fog. As everything began to echo, he found his breathing becoming shallow and sharp, sending stabbing pains to his chest. He collapsed to his knees, trying to get air. The growls of monsters whispered in his ears. The sound of blades began to scrape against the ground. Oscar closed his eyes, gripping his scarf as he gasped desperately.

He was alone. He was scared.

He was going to die.

_Someone…anyone, please…help me!_

The darkness vanished, replaced by ice and wind. The two gangs surrounding him had backed off, strange red and grey glows surrounding them. Someone grabbed him by his arm and pulled him up to his feet. Oscar looked up, eyes wide in wonder at his savior. A person in a forest green hooded cloak, standing tall with a staff in their free hand. The winds stopped, and Oscar could hear the crunch of leaves hitting the ground.

"What the hell?" Bear-head ( _Chloris_ , Oscar reminded himself) stammered. "Who the hell are you?! This is-"

"This fight is over," the stranger said, knocking back their hood to reveal shoulder length brown hair. "All of you, withdraw."

"Amber?" Monkeytail asked. "What are you doing here?"

"My job."

Without another word Oscar was pulled tightly against Amber's side. A large burst of wind and flame erupted from beneath them, launching them upward into the air. When they'd gotten a few stories above the buildings, a thick layer of ice covered the entire alleyway and trapped the two gangs inside. Amber quickly turned, pressing a button on the staff and using it to send them flying toward the direction of uptown.

"You're amazing," Oscar whispered.

"What was that?"

"Oh, uh. I meant, uh…thank you for saving me."

Amber nodded. "Don't thank me. We're not out of the woods just yet."

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Two Days Ago: East Side Vale _ **

 

James stood in the entry way, his gaze fixated on the crow on the railing. The rest of the Red Clan stood there in silence, glaring at his soldiers with deadly intent. He had to play this cool, or else something could go very wrong.

"Come on down, Qrow," James called. "I know you're up there. Face me like a King."

The crow vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing in the form of Qrow Branwen, still sitting smugly there on the railing. "Sorry we busted some gun smugglers on your own turf, but you were a bit too slow in findin' 'em."

"Smugglers or not, you still attacked a government owned building."

"Oooh, I'm sorry. I thought it was some _other_ garbage shit hole building."

James sighed. He'd heard all this before. "Please come quietly, and no one has to get hurt."

The members of Harbinger looked to Qrow. Junior, who was whispering something to Roman, kept flicking his gaze back toward them. A part of his heart sank. Not too long ago, that was his ally on the front lines.

_How things change._

Qrow smirked, letting out a low, throaty chuckle. "Burn them all."

The clan members smiled wildly, all beginning to glow a brilliant crimson as they chanted the clan's motto at the top of their lungs. James reached into his pocket, pulling out his gun and making sure it had the safety off.

"Sir?"

James glanced over his shoulder to his troop. "Yes, Winter?"

"Qrow Branwen has just summoned his Sword of Damocles," Winter explained, drawing mild shock from the young girl beside her. "How shall we proceed, sir?"

"Prepare for battle," James put bluntly.

"General-"

"As members of the Blue Clan, our job is to maintain order. To serve and protect. We will not fall. Not like this. Not by his, or anyone's hand." He smiled, turning back to the Reds. "Everyone at the ready."

Winter saluted and turned to the others. "Soldiers! To arms!"

Everyone lined up, reaching for their rapiers and drawing. A bright blue began to mingle with the red aura, bathing the building in shades of lilac. Steam rose from the ground as vile heat met with bitter frost.

**_"Atar at the ready!"_ **

**_"Darcy at the ready!"_ **

**_"Ember at the ready!"_ **

**_"Gale at the ready!"_ **

**_"Violet at the ready!"_ **

**_"Katt at the ready!"_ **

**_"Coal at the ready!"_ **

**_"Soleil at the ready!"_ **

**_"Schnee Two at the ready!"_ **

**_"Schnee One the ready!"_ **

James smirked, taking aim at Qrow.

"Ironwood. Ready for battle."

He fired, the bullet zipping past in a burst of cold light and going right through Qrow's shoulder. As it did, the entire Red Clan shattered like glass, vanishing completely. Just as James tried to process what was happening, he looked up, holding out his metal hand as Qrow's personal sword came for him. He caught it just in time, holding it in place as the gravity in the room began to increase.

"Calling all your kids to play?" Qrow chuckled. "Gotta say, didn't know you were so much of a family man."

James laughed. "Should have told me it was the family barbecue, then I'd have brought a few cold ones."

"I say you brought plenty of those already."

Winter ordered the others to spread out, searching the building for the rest of the clan. James tossed Qrow aside, only for him to shift back to a bird and circle back around, this time coming at him ground level. James went to fire another shot, Qrow lifted his leg and kicked it from his hand, quickly pulling his foot away from James's now free hand.

"Stop fightin' me and listen," Qrow grunted. "I wanna make a deal."

James cocked an eyebrow. "A deal?"

"You take me in. Just me. And if you let the rest of Harbinger go free, Junior will personally email everything we got today. No tricks. No problems. Just straight up business."

"That so?" James pondered this for a moment. It seemed like too good of a deal. "What can I get as assurance that you won't back out on your word?"

Qrow's confident smile faded to a look of pain. He reached up and grabbed his cross, slipping the chain off his neck and holding it out to James. James stared at him wide eyed, but gently took it. Once it was safely in his coat pocket, Qrow pulled his sword away from James's metal hand and tossed it beside the discarded gun. He put up his hands and fell to his knees, the red aura vanishing instantly.

"We have a deal?"

James stared at him for a second before reaching up to his earpiece. "Everyone. Fall back. The Red King is in our custody."

Qrow smiled fondly, letting James put the cuffs on him. "Thank you."

"You can thank me after I get that intel," James said. "What is it exactly I should be looking for."

"You'll know it when you see it." He chuckled. "Or you can wait two days."

"…I think I'll find it before then."

"Twenty Lien says you won't."

"You're on."

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Today: Uptown Vale Shopping District _ **

 

After a few minutes of flying, they finally came to land on the roof of an old department store. Amber set Oscar down, giving the area a quick glance around for enemies. Oscar simply watched her in silence, uncertain of how to react.

"Looks like we're safe," she said. "That ice won't hold forever, but it'll hold long enough for Harbinger and the Tribe to lose our scent."

"That's a relief," he sighed. "Thanks again for-"

Amber's staff came within an inch of his face, the red crystal burning intensely with a deadly glow. Amber's deep brown eyes seemed to be shining brighter than before. Slowly, Oscar took a step back, his body trembling in fear.

"What are you-"

"Where are the Green and Gold King?" Amber demanded coldly. "What did you do with them, Colorless Tyrant?!"

Oscar stared at her, perplexed. "What are you talking about? Kings? Is this some kind of game or something?"

Amber bared her teeth, leaning in close and scaring Oscar to the ground. "I am a soldier of the Colorless King, tasked with finding my new King and the missing Kings. And you know something about what happened to them."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Oscar asked. "I don't know anything-"

The large screen on the outside of the building across from them flickered. The advertisement pixilated and distorted, slowly being replaced by an old looking home video. Standing on the railing of a tall building was a young boy, leaning back and forth preciously on the edge and humming a very familiar melody. A gentle voice called out to him, a hand from the point of view of the camera reaching out.

"Hey. You really shouldn't be up here. It's not that far a fall, but it's dangerous all the same. Come on down, please?"

The boy in the video stopped. Everything went dead quiet.

Suddenly a long, black bar swerved in front of the screen. There was a loud crack, the sound of someone falling, and a flash of lightning. As the person who had held the camera fell into view, a mop of messy blond hair could be seen just out of sight. A low groan of pain reverberated on the speakers, soon replaced by the gentle sound of clicking. The body of the camera man was dragged out of view as the boy took his place, smiling maniacally into the camera.

"I am the Colorless Tyrant," the boy laughed. "And I'm coming for all of you pathetic little kings. Mark my words. By the time you finally find me, it'll be too late."

The video froze on the image of the boy. Along the bottom of the screen was a message from Harbinger, calling for any information on the boy's location. Any information was offered a fifty-thousand Lien reward, with two-hundred thousand going to anyone who brought the boy straight to them.

But none of that mattered to Oscar. What mattered was the face of the video boy staring back at him.

_It's my face. How can that be?_

Slowly, he turned to Amber, who was watching him suspiciously.

"So?" she asked. "Is that you in the video?"

Oscar swallowed thickly.

"It…certainly looks like me."


	2. The Cover is Not the Book

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terms for the chapter
> 
> Castle: A King's main meeting place.  
> Grimm Level: The level at judge a King's stability. Once pushed beyond its limits, the King will suffer a Damocles Down.  
> Damocles Down: When a King's power is pushed to the breaking point and results in a break down. Results of one are catastrophic.

**_ Nine Years Ago: Beacon Tower _ **

**__ **

Silence fell over the glass elevator as the doors slowly slid closed. Gripping her staff close, Amber kept her eyes on the screen, watching the numbers increase as they began to rise. Beside her, a little girl with ginger hair squished her face right against the glass, watching the ground below become farther away with every passing second, pointing at all the different buildings and images that passed by in wonder. On her other side was a young boy gently tugging at the pink streak in his hair, staying as close as possible to the man that traveled with them.

Any other day, the three of them would be back at home, playing in the park as An prepared dinner in the house across the street. Today, Amber, Nora, and Lie were travelling with Li on official Kings' business. They were going to sit in on a very important meeting, and they were to be on their best behavior.

Beacon Tower, property of the Green King, was a one-hundred and ten story tall building that resembled a stack of gears. Standing in the center of Vale, it had fell within direct center of every other Kings' territories throughout the city, and as such was chosen in the early days as the official meeting place. To be invited here otherwise was considered a great privilege. Only high ranking members of the clans ever got to go to the very top floor.

"Father?" Lie asked softly. "Is it really alright for us to be here? I mean…we're only children."

Amber glanced over at them, remaining silent. Had they been adults, this question would have seemed a little absurd. But Lie had a point. A few barely ten-year-olds were incredibly out of place here.

Li smiled, kneeling down to their level. "No one is going to question a few children sitting in on the meeting. It's rare, but not uncommon. There've been a few children in the meetings before you. There's nothing to worry about."

"Oh!" Nora looked away from the wall and ran around to climb onto his back. "Are we allowed to talk during the meeting? Are we gonna see all the other Kings' powers? Will we get powers? I want powers!"

"Nora," Li said calmly. "Behave yourself." He stood up, reaching back and adjusting himself so Nora wouldn't fall. "You are allowed to ask questions if you wish, but you must raise your hand and wait. Just like in class."

Nora wrinkled her nose. "Is this gonna be like school? School's boring."

"Lunch is provided."

"School is not boring."

Lie let out a giggle. "We'll behave father."

Amber looked back to the numbers, watching them tick away more. She felt incredibly out of place compared to the Colorless King's other charge. Maybe it was because she was a little older. Or the fact that she was already a fully fledged Clansman with a power. She didn't tell Nora or Lie about it, even though they looked up to her as a sister and shared everything with her. She was asked not to share this ability unless absolutely necessary. And so she kept it hidden. Despite how lonely it could be.

"We're here," Li said. The elevator slowly came to a halt at the top and the doors slid open. "Go ahead and take a look around, but stay close."

As they stepped out, Amber's eyes took in every detail of the open room. The walls and floor were evenly divided and covered in eclectic designs, with the colors, patterns, and floating ornaments matching each of the nine clans. The emblem of Kuroyuri glowed softly from the floor in a gradient of pink and green, with lotus flowers floating in the air. To the left was an emerald green gear emblem, with clocks and watches floating around and a rather elegant staff hanging from the wall in that section, and in the section beyond it she could make out a silver rose garden. To the right was a snowy looking section, covered in pale rainbow snowflakes. A crystal chandelier hung above, occasionally shattering and reforming into a new design. Beyond that section was a part of the room that seemed covered in mist, with little spider webs in glass discs spinning around. Stepping closer to the center, she managed to get a better look at the rose garden, surprised to see decorative skulls amongst the thorns. Beside them was a red bathed light, shining over glossy black feathers that hung in the air amongst little balls of fire, with a great bird hanging over the elevator door. In the blue section were intricate spurts of binary code that came in and out of view, with flickers of simple glyph designs mixed in. The golden lit section had miniature dragons flying in elegant dances, with a few occasionally splitting off to visit the other sections. The last one, housed between dragons and mist, was a spot that resembled a throne room at night, with a tapestry hanging over the elevator that showed the shadowy silhouettes of animals in a beautiful line, all turned toward the sun. And in the center of the room was a large table, with nine chairs that perfectly matched each section.

How a single room managed to feel so disjointed and yet perfectly put together amazed her to no end. Magical. That was the only way to describe it. Pure, beautiful, wondrous magic.

"This is so cool!" Nora squealed. "Oh, oh! Do we get to sit in the chairs? Do we get our own chairs? Does the room look the same with every King that comes next? Did you get to design your corner? Is it like bedrooms at home?!"

Amber resisted the urge to giggle at Nora's rapid fire questions, instead taking a moment to linger in the Colorless King's section a little longer. She reached out her hand, lightly touching one of the many lotus blossoms, letting out a hum at how soft they were against her fingertips. She didn't like pondering the idea that these would one day disappear, if the parts of the room really did change with every new King. Though it did make her wonder. What would her section look like if she were a King? Would it be just like this, or something else? Would the lotus blossom be replaced with another flower, if any at all?

She hoped she'd never live to see the answer.

Li motioned for Nora to quiet down. "Looks like we have company."

Amber looked over in the direction of the elevator in the red section as it opened. On a decorative perch inside was a beautiful crow, with crimson eyes and a shiny black beak. It let out a few caws before flying out, bursting into flame and causing the children to gasp in terror. The fire faded, replaced with a ball of smoke that faded into the shape of a man. He had the same red eyes and his hair was as black as the feathers. He was tall, lean, and a little lanky, dressed in black dress pants, heavy boots, and a leather jacket over a red scoop neck shirt.. Dangling from his neck was a silver chain, carrying a crooked cross.

Lie hid behind Li, gripping his father's pant leg tightly. "Father? Who is that?"

"That is the third King," Li explained. "The Red King."

"It's the Sang-Craw!" Nora screamed, wiggling away from Li and running over to him. "You're the Sang-Craw, right?! The one all the kids at school talk about! That's you, right?!"

The Red King looked at her, a bemused smile on his face. "The kids still calling me that, huh?" He knelt down to her level, gently patting her on the head. "And what am I supposed to call you?"

"I'm Nora Valkyrie!"

"Nice to meet you, Nora. Name's Qrow."

Amber was shocked at how gentle the Red King was. She'd heard stories about him. How he was ruthless in a fight. How everyone who dared challenge him would meet an untimely end. His reign was one of an infamous reputation. And yet, he was nothing like that here.

"He's not scary," she muttered. "Everyone at school said he was a monster…"

"Looks can be deceiving," Li said, walking up beside her. "And rumors are usually not very close to the reality. Qrow Branwen is a fierce warrior, but his heart is gentle."

Lie peaked out from behind them. "He doesn't look like a King. He looks more like-"

"Like a punk?"

"Yeah."

Li let out a chuckle. "He is a punk."

Qrow looked up, shooting Li a pout. "I heard that!"

"Then stop getting into fights and you won't have to hear it." He looked at the children, putting a reassuring hand on their shoulders. "A cover is not the book, understand? You never know what a person is like until you open the book and take a read. Remember that."

"Yes father," said Lie.

"Yes sir," Amber said.

"Good. Now let's get you all settled in. If Qrow is here, that means the meeting will be starting soon."

Just as he said it, two more elevators opened to reveal the Silver and Black Kings. The Black King was a tall man with golden eyes that resembled a jaguar. Strong, intimidating, yet still patient. The Silver King, in comparison, was a woman who barely came up to Li's ear, with dark red hair that was tied back in an elegant rose braid, and her eyes were of starlight. Amber was so mesmerized by them, she didn't notice when Li brought the kids over toward his seat at the round table, pressing a button on his chair thrice. The lotus blossoms swirled around in the air and flew over, blooming into three comfortable seats.

Amber took her seat and waited for the rest of the Kings to arrive.

* * *

 

 

**_ Today: Uptown Vale Shopping District _ **

**__ **

Oscar looked up at Amber, his eyes wide in fear. He couldn't process what was going on. Kings? Tyrants? And what was that darkness back there? He didn't understand.

"Tell me, Colorless Tyrant," Amber said slowly. "What did you do to Gold King? Where is Taiyang Xiao Long?"

"Look," Oscar huffed. "My name is Oscar Pine. I'm just a student over at Signal. I don't know who this Taiyang is, or what these Kings are. If you want to ask me things, can you at least explain what the hell is going on? And who those people chasing me are? And what was with that darkness that was suffocating me?"

Amber lowered her staff, taking a deep breath. "In Vale, there are nine groups that have control over the city. These groups are known as the Clans, and each Clan is headed by a King. Each King has specific powers, and can bestow power on anyone that joins their Clan." She pointed to the screen. "What you saw there was the only video evidence of the Gold King's kidnapping. The two groups that were after you back there were the Red Clan Harbinger, and the Grey Clan known as the Tribe. Their Kings are family to the Gold King, and like me, they want answers. By darkness, it sounds like you got caught in the Grey Clan's fear powers."

Oscar nodded, trying to take all this in. "Okay. And…who's the 'Colorless Tyrant'? That's what my look-a-like called themself."

"I'm hoping they aren't the new Colorless King gone mad." She raised the edge of her staff again, using it to tilt his chin up. "Or rather, I hope _you're_ not my new King gone mad."

"Woah now!" Oscar pushed her staff away. "I don't know who the Kings even are. You got the wrong person. I didn't have anything to do with it!"

"Then whose face is that on the video? Whose voice did you hear?" Amber's eyes seemed to glow as a harsh breeze flew up behind her. "You can't look at that and say it isn't you."

"W-well it isn't!" He slowly stood up, gripping the supplies bag in his hand tightly. "I'm sorry for your missing friends, really, I am, but I had nothing to do with it!"

"If it wasn't you," Amber hissed. "Then who was it? Whoever it was looks an awful lot like you."

"I don't know!"

Oscar was trembling, trying to keep his cool. He didn't want to believe any of this. But it was kind of hard not to when you saw a girl use wind and frozen leaves to save you. In his pocket, he could feel Penny shifting, sticking her head out just enough so that only he could see her.

"Oscar," Penny whispered. "We can escape. I have a plan. Just find a way to distract her and set your school blazer on the ground with the groceries."

His gaze darted between the two, trying to figure out a good distraction. He saw various advertisements for movies, notices for traffic updates, new tech on the market, and an old coupon advertising spices on the ground nearby. He didn't see anything worth using.

Until he saw a vaccination pamphlet.

Amber let out a sigh, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pair of cuffs. "Looks like I'll have no choice then. I'll need to take you to ATLAS for questioning. I don't like the idea, but-"

Oscar nearly screamed. "Wait!"

"What?" She glared at him. "Whatever tricks you're playing-"

Oscar steeled himself, setting the bag and costume down. "Look. I'll, I'll go with you but, uh…you see-"

"Spit it out!"

"I need you to do me a favor first. I need to write a letter."

Amber raised an eyebrow. "A letter."

Oscar nodded. "See, my sister's very sick and is going in and out of the hospital frequently. We're all each other has, and if you're arresting me for this crime, she'll be all alone. I don't want her to think I abandoned her." As he reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad, he noticed the forlorn look on Amber's face. "She's in the hospital right now. I don't get to see her often."

"I'm…sorry." She held her staff close to her, looking at her feet. "It must be hard."

"It is. Very much so." Oscar slipped off his blazer and sat down, starting to write. "I have a favor to ask. Can you make sure she gets this letter? I need her to know I didn't just…you know…disappear."

"Of, of course," Amber said. "What's her name?"

 _Crap. Name_. "Her name is, uh…Paprika?"

"What?"

"R-Rika! Rika is her name."

"Rika Pine." Amber smiled softly. "That's a nice name. A very strong name."

Oscar nodded. "Yeah. She's quite the spitfire. And that's why I need you to get this message to her." He folded the paper and handed it to her. "Please? It's important."

Amber hesitantly took the paper from him and began to open it. He figured as much, given the situation. She probably wanted to memorize it just in case. He glanced back at Penny, finding her finishing setting up the fireworks and smoke bombs in a pile. He backed up a bit, giving himself some space between himself and Amber.

"O lei oh lai," Penny whispered. "Get ready to howl."

_Get ready to howl? What did she-Oh!_

Amber looked at the note, her look of guilt shifting to confusion and anger. "What the hell is this?!"

Oscar shrugged. "Sorry!"

A bright flash of light. Smoke covering the entire roof. Oscar quickly opened the roof door before diving for the Beowolf costume, crawling inside it and putting the head back on. As a gust of wind sent the smoke clearing, he stayed as still as possible. Just barely through the eyes of the costume, he could see the look of frustration on Amber's face as she stormed over to the door.

"Dammit!" she growled. "Just when I thought it'd be a case of a misleading cover, the boy turns out to be a rotten novel! Sorry my King, but this kid is dead meat when I find him. I swear-"

Oscar watched her hurry out and waited, staying absolutely still for as long as he could. Once he was sure Amber wasn't coming back, he sat up, taking the Beowolf head off. Penny walked over to him, carrying the fake goodbye letter that only said 'I'm sorry I lied', paired with a little smiley face. He didn't like lying about having a sister, but he couldn't think of anything better.

 _If I ever see her again_ , he thought _, I'll apologize._

"Why was she mad at you?" Penny asked. "I don't understand."

"She thought I had something to do with a missing King," Oscar explained. "Do you know anything about these Kings?"

Penny shook her head. "No, I don't. Only what I overheard. But perhaps we can look it up at home?"

"That's a good idea. Come on. Onto my shoulder. Let's get going." He paused, looking at the costume and then to Penny. "We can use the costume to sneak around if we cut through the cosplay district. They have loads of people in dress up this time of day."

"Sen-sational!" Penny crawled up onto his shoulder. "Let's go home!"

Oscar gathered their things, making a count of how much of the fireworks were left before heading down. Still enough to justify the trip, but not quite enough to where the school could have the proper show they'd arranged. He'd have to come up with some kind of excuse. He hoped the clubs would be understanding if he explained what had happened.

_Or…explain part of it. I can't tell my classmates I'm suspected of kidnapping. I'll just tell them I got chased by some street thugs and lost some of the stuff. That'll work. Right?_

As they made their way out of the main shopping area and into the cosplay district, Oscar slowly became more at ease. The feeling of fear had fully subsided, and he felt confident that he'd make it back to the Signal dorms in one piece.

He hoped he could keep up that level of confidence.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Three Weeks Ago: Calavera Gardens _ **

**__ **

The gentle breeze against the wind chimes sent a shiver through her spine. Ruby often found herself coming here when things got hard. When her mother died, she practically lived there for a year. The silver roses that grew in the public gardens always brought a sense of calm to her. She couldn't place what it was about them. Perhaps it was how they shined in the sunlight, resembling little flowery moons upon the earth. Or maybe it was because they reminded her so much of Summer, the Silver King.

Whatever it was, they were her comfort. And now she needed their gentleness again.

Taiyang went missing just two days ago, and already the police were considering closing the case due to lack of evidence. Yang and Sun, in a fit of frustration, went to Uncle Qrow and begged for him to mobilize Harbinger in a search. They even went so far as to join them, giving up their spots in Patchwork Dragon. Ruby didn't like it, but she couldn't fault them for doing so. She'd done the same not long after losing Summer, and if she were honest with herself, she did feel a little more at home in Harbinger than Patchwork Dragon.

And yet, neither was the right fit.

_**"I see you've come back again."** _

Ruby looked up from the flowers she'd been watching, smiling happily at the sight of a little old lady with a skull walking cane and a pair of cybernetic eyes. "Hey there, Maria. I hope you don't mind me being here."

Maria smiled, waddling over to her slowly. "Fear not, child. It is a public garden after all." She came to join her, both of them settling in on the grass beside the indoor stream. "I'm sorry about your father, dear. Has there been any news about his whereabouts?"

"No," Ruby sighed. "The police want to close the case already because of lack of evidence. The only reason it's still open is because the General is keeping it open."

"I see." Maria let out a sigh, reaching up and adjusting her eyes a little. "You know, I never did care for those ATLAS Kings much. The last one in particular." She smiled softly. "But despite his more paranoid habits, I feel we can trust this Blue King. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders, and a good heart in his chest."

"Yeah, he does. Though Uncle Qrow doesn't seem to think so."

"Take anything Qrow says about other people with a pinch of salt, dear. Sometimes he can't see past the cover of a book. Though given the past, I don't blame him." She leaned forward slightly, dipping the tips of her fingers into the cool water. "What is he up to at the moment?"

Ruby mimicked her movements. "He and the others are on the hunt. I think they said something about tracking down a weapons dealer in the underbelly."

"And Ozpin?"

"Still missing too."

"I see. And I take it the rest of the clans are scrambling to prepare for the worst, given the situation."

"Yeah," Ruby said. "Ghira said he and his family were busy investigating White Fang activity, while Mrs. Cotta-Arc said Dust to Dust needs some time to mourn the Ren parents."

"They did only just pass. It's understandable why they might need more time." Maria let out a sigh. "Things are falling apart and there's not much I can do in my old age to help matters. If I still had my eyes, then maybe…"

Ruby looked at her, drying her hand on the hem of her skirt before reaching out to Maria, gently taking her hand. "You've done so much for us already. You've kept mom's roses growing. You kept Raven and Qrow safe back when they were fledgling Kings. I might not be here if you hadn't taken my mom under your guidance. You've done so much for us already, Miss Calavera."

"I appreciate your kind words, Miss Rose." Maria looked away, her face stern and focused. "But there must be something more I can do." She closed her eyes, whispering to herself. "Life is beautiful. It is precious. And it must be protected. What kind of a King am I if I cannot do something more to protect?" She opened her eyes as realization dawned on her. "Perhaps there is a way."

Ruby looked at her, perplexed and worried. "What?"

Maria smiled, turning to her and holding out the skull on her cane. "We should start our own investigation. I can get intel easily from the other Kings, but I'll need someone to search the streets for me." She nodded to the skull, letting the silver aura cover it entirely. "I need a Clansman to be my eyes."

Ruby watched the skull, mesmerized by the shimmer of the light pulsing around it. "But…what about my current Clan? Is it okay that I join you?"

"It doesn't have to be permanent," Maria explained. "This blessing will only last until we bring your father home. After that, you're free to return to whatever Clan you want. But we need to work together. We both have abilities the others don't have that could come in handy." She tilted her head slightly. "So what do you say? Shall we give those hotheads a run for their money?"

Ruby smiled, slowly reaching out to touch the skull. "How do I do it?"

"Just touch the skull, then repeat this phrase; 'Life is beautiful. It is precious. And it must be protected.' Go ahead."

With a shaky breath, Ruby's hand came to rest on the skull. The silver aura slowly began to slither and crawl over her hand, up her arm and soon covered her entire figure, enveloping her in a soothing warmth. She closed her eyes, focusing hard on the words.

"Life is beautiful. It is precious. And it must be protected."

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Today: Signal Academy Dorms _ **

 

Oscar changed out of the Beowolf costume and flopped face down on the bed. He'd gotten off very easy for the incident. They were more concerned about his wellbeing than the supplies. The other kids agreed to send someone else to get the ledgers, and he was dismissed and allowed back to his room. The stress had settled into his bones in a dull, stabbing ache. He took a deep breath, trying to find the strength to not fall asleep right then and there.

"Today was just weird," he groaned. "Penny…I don't know if I can get up and make dinner. I'm too tired."

"That's okay Oscar. I can make dinner today."

Oscar let out a laugh. "That would be nice, but I don't think you-"

"It's not a problem. You had enough left over for vegetable stir fry tonight, right?"

"Huh?" He sat up. "What are you- ** _Wha?!"_**

Oscar was completely taken aback. Penny was no longer the little android she was before. She was now the size of a young girl, standing over by the kitchenette dressed in the Signal girls' uniform. She stared at him, tilting her head in confusion.

"What's wrong," she asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

He shook his head. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. It was impossible. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Hm? Oh." She smiled, spinning on her toes. "I thought I'd help with dinner, since you seemed so tired. You need to eat and finish your homework."

"This isn't happening. This can't be happening." Oscar stood, pacing the room as he tugged at his hair. "This is impossible. You can't just suddenly grow like that. What the hell is going on? Why is everything so-"

The click of the dorm room opening pulled him from the panic. He hurried over, watching as a person in a red hooded cloak hurried in, carrying a black and white corgi. The stranger locked the door behind them, flipping their hood back to reveal a head of dark red hair.

"That was a close one, Zwei," they sighed. "I did not like the look on her face. She seemed so mad." The corgi, let out a small yip and wiggled out of her arms, landing on the floor with a gentle thud before scampering over to the bed and making himself comfortable. The stranger stretched, letting out a light groan.  "That was quite a run."

Oscar stepped forward. "Ruby?"

The stranger turned around, smiling. "Hey Oscar! Sorry for barging in. Kinda had to."

"What are you doing here? I thought you had a family emergency."

"Oh, I did," Ruby giggled. "Still do, actually. Zwei and I are on a mission and-" her stomach growled "-kinda needed to stop to eat." She hurried over to the desk, throwing down her bag on top of Oscar's homework. "Sorry, but I can't exactly go home right now, so I'm going to borrow your room. I promise, I'll clean up when I'm done-"

"Ruby?"

Ruby looked over to the kitchenette. "Hey Penny. Long time no see."

"Wait," Oscar said. "You know each other?"

Penny shifted on her feet. "Um-"

"We go way back," Ruby said. "She and her father were-"

Oscar held up his hand. "Father? Do you mean her creator? She's an android."

Ruby blinked, letting out a snort. "She's not an android. She's-"

**_"OSCAR PINE!"_ **

The window was blown open, filling the room with frozen leaves that embedded themselves into the wall. Oscar let out a scream, trying to hurry over to the door before feeling someone grab him by the collar and drag him back. His hazel eyes locked with brown, and he felt the blood drain from his face as Amber glared at him.

"So how's your sister?" she seethed. "Still in the hospital?"

"Amber?"

Amber looked up, her anger melting into surprise. "Ruby?"

Ruby put her hands on her hips, pouting and tapping her foot in aggravation. "What are you doing? He's a student! Be nice!"

Before Amber could reply, Penny reached out, grabbing Oscar and pulling him into a protective embrace. "You're not welcome here. Please leave."

Amber pulled Oscar back, pointing her staff a centimeter from Penny's face. "Not until I get my answers!"

"You can't just barge into our home!"

The girls continued their shouting, taking turns tugging and pulling at Oscar. The noises swirled in his head, pounding away as wind tossed papers about and the lights began to flicker. Excited barking mixed with the yelling. Anger. Fear. Confusion. It all began to cut deeply. It was too much. Too much.

**_"ENOUGH!"_ **

Oscar pulled his arm free from Penny's grasp and turned, stomping hard on Amber's foot. When she yelped and let go, he jumped back, kneeling down and reaching for his holster. When the girls all stepped toward him, he drew the cane, pressing the lever and turning it, keeping the tip pointed up. He looked at their faces, trying to gauge what they were thinking. But their eyes weren't focused on him. They were focused on the cane.

"Oscar," Ruby started. "Please put the cane down-"

"No," he said sternly, trying to keep his voice steady. "What is going on here?" He pointed the cane toward Penny. "I thought you were one of those personal androids from Polendina Tech. You were pocket sized and everything!" He turned to Amber. "Why are you so set on me being some kind of criminal? Huh? I never did anything to you." He looked to Ruby, his voice starting to crack. "And where have you been for the last three weeks? Everyone in class misses you, you know?" He shook his head biting back tears in his eyes. "What is going on? I don't understand! Why am I being accused of kidnapping someone? Why is it me being chased?! Why is it everyone seems to know what's going on but me?! I'm just a student! I don't understand what's happening!"

Oscar held the cane tightly. He hated this. Everything was fine just this morning. He was normal just this morning. Just like any other kid.

As the tension in the room began to ease, Penny cautiously stepped closer, kneeling down and slowly lowering the hand holding the cane. "Oscar, I'm sorry. I know this is probably a lot to take in. And I promise, I never wanted to deceive you. But-" she looked over at the others "-there's some things about us that you should know. You have every right to know." She looked back to him, giving him one of her cheerful grins. "How about we all take a moment to calm down and eat. Then we'll talk. Okay?"

Oscar stared at her. He was still frustrated, but seeing her being so calm and patient seemed to help ease whatever anxieties were pulling at him. He retracted his cane and put it back in its holster.

"Okay," he muttered. "But I ask the questions. My dorm room, my rules. That fair?"

"I think that's more than fair," Ruby said. "And I'll order us all some delivery. Does Simple Wok sound good?"

"Sure…"

"Okay." Ruby looked at Amber, undoing her hood and hanging it on the nearby coat rack. "Let's all sit down and talk, okay? And maybe compare notes on our investigations?"

Oscar watched as Amber let out a sigh, nodding in agreement before handing over her cloak. Soon all three girls were sitting on the bed with the corgi, with Ruby making the dinner order on her scroll. Oscar took a seat at the desk, tossing Ruby's bag back to her and clearing the desk and table. Things were quiet. Calm. No longer tense. Or rather, not nearly as tense.

 _Good_ , he thought. _Maybe now I'll get some answers._

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Nine Years Ago: Beacon Tower _ **

**__ **

James hesitantly stepped off the elevator, stepping onto floor 107 with extreme caution. When Qrow slipped him the note before the meeting, he'd been very skeptical of his intentions. But after being told off by Li and meeting the other Kings, James figured it was safe to take a chance on him. At least here, the Red King wouldn't try anything in the Green King's domain.

When James entered the floor, he was completely stunned by the sight of it. Every King had their own designated floor in Beacon Tower that acted as their personal castle within the neutral zone, and they often reflected the King that ruled over them. As such, he'd assumed it'd be a mess. Some kind of sparring ring or a kind of fight club fitting of the Red King's reputation. He'd anticipated broken walls, weapons, and burning trash cans. Maybe even a fire hydrant set alight.

Instead, he was greeted to a beautiful, wide open speakeasy decorated with golden ornaments of corvids and dragons and roses on the pillars. There were black and white photos of all the Kings of the past along one of the main walls, which appeared to be made of the softest  red velvet. The dark hardwood tables were perfectly polished. There was a stage off in the corner between the elevators of the first two Kings, where a band of Atlesian Service Droids were playing a soothing rendition of 'Someday' by the Stokes. Comfortable leather and plush couches that blended into the scenery and a soft carpet floor tied the whole room together.

_This is the Red King's room?_

_**"Glad you could make it, Bluenose."** _

James looked over at the bar, and immediately his face started to burn. Qrow was sitting the bar counter with his legs crossed, dressed in a white dress shirt with the sleeves held up by garters and the top few buttons undone, a black double-breasted vest with matching cuffed trousers, and a pair of red and white brogues. An undone red bow-tie dangled from around his neck. In this setting, the man seemed to glow more than he ever did in battle.

 _Thank god for the red lighting,_ James thought.

"Glad you actually read my note," Qrow chuckled. "Swanky, ain't it? Took me forever to get used to being here in this position." He hopped off the counter and walked over to him, arms wide in welcome. "This here's Harbinger Nights, my own home away from home away from warehouse. Come pick your poison."

Before James could protest, Qrow had an arm around him and was dragging him over to the bar. Knowing he probably wouldn't be able to get out of it, he resigned himself to being seated and handed a menu. It was a little hard to argue with the man, knowing what he could do. He didn't feel coerced, and yet, he didn't feel all in that control either. He tried to push the feeling off, chocking it up to being in another King's territory.

"What can I get you, Jimmy? Sidecar? Mary Pickford? Jack Rose?" Qrow started pulling down ingredients, throwing a delighted smirk over his shoulder. "Or would you like me to surprise you?"

James glanced over the drinks before setting the menu down. "You know what? Go ahead and surprise me. I trust you."

Qrow's cheeky grin wavered, but he simply nodded and continued to pull out ingredients. Ice, a lime, gin, bitters, and crème de menthe white. Enough for two cocktails. James took a moment to glance at the wall, his eyes settling on the Blue King before him.

"So did you ever meet my predecessor?" he asked.

Qrow scoffed. "Once. A real Mrs. Gundy, that lady." He shook the shaker, lightly swaying side to side as he did. "Not my favorite person in the world. Maria hated her more though."

"Maria?"

"Silver King's right hand. Owns the public gardens in the old historical district." He poured out the drinks into two chilled glasses and slid one over to him. "Enjoy."

James picked it up, admiring the light pink hue it gained in the light. "What is it?"

"Fallen Angel," Qrow said. "One of my favorites."

"How fitting. When I first saw you, that's what I thought you looked like."

"Well, aren't you the charmer?" Qrow held up his glass. "To the new Blue King. May he never fall."

"And to the Red King," James added, joining the toast. "May he…continue to be full of surprises." He took a sip, smiling at the taste. "That's rather nice."

"Thank you. I do try." Qrow downed his in one go, letting out a satisfied 'ah' as he set the empty glass down. "Always hits the spot after a meeting."

"You come to your room after meetings often?"

Qrow nodded, preparing another drink. "Usually, yeah. I don't really like going home after meetings. Makes me antsy."

"Because of your Clan?"

"No, because of my sister and her spouses. They get all goo-goo eyed and mushy. Not my kind of thing." He paused, staring blankly at the shaker. "Hey…sorry."

"About what?"

"About the fight yesterday. I judged you before I got to properly meet you and that wasn't right of me. I'd like if we can start over, if you'll have me."

James looked at him speechless. He hadn't expected Qrow to apologize again. Then again, he hadn't expected a lot of things. So far, Qrow had been the opposite of what he'd heard.

"No need to apologize," he finally said. "We were both acting stupid. We trusted rumors and didn't look past that when we first met. I think it's safe to say we're good, Qrow."

Qrow smiled. "You mean that?"

"Only if you'll make me another one of those Fallen Angels."

"Hehe. Anytime."

* * *

 

 

**_ Today: ATLAS Headquarters - Holding Block _ **

**__ **

James stood by the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed as he watched Qrow play with the cuffs. He didn't like this situation at all. And he seemed to be the only one of the two who even seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.

"You know," Qrow chuckled. "If you wanted to talk to me, you're being awfully quiet about it. Stop beating around the bush and say something."

"Then I'll just get to the point then." James walked over to him, keeping his gaze low. "Your Sword of Damocles is breaking. Your Grimm levels have skyrocketed and are pushing their limits. If you continue to use your powers as you have been, we'll be at risk of another Fall of Mountain Glenn."

"No idea what you're talking about, Jim."

 _There he goes again. Ignoring the problem and trying to brush it off._ "I'll put it simply then." He reached out and grabbed Qrow by the collar, pinning him up against the wall and staring him down. "I'm telling you that it's time to stop. Renounce your throne before you're too far gone. We can't have another King going through a Damocles Down."

Qrow smiled, leaning his head in a little closer. "You say some of the funniest shit, Ironwood. And with such a serious face too. But I'm afraid I'll have to pass."

James tightened his grip. "You realize if you keep going down this path, I may be forced to stop you myself? I don't know about you, but I really don't want it to come down to that. So either renounce your title, or I'll have to find ways to keep you locked up for the rest of your life."

"You and I both know there's no way you can do that."

"…Maybe you're right." James let him go, taking a step back as his anger began to claw at him. "But that doesn't mean I can't try."

Qrow watched him turn to leave, letting out a soft laugh. "Well, maybe there is _one_ way."

James looked at him, cocking a brow. "What way?"

"You could do it," Qrow said. "The Blue King keeping an eye on me 24/7. Quite the job offer." His body began to glow a soft red. "Think about it, Jimbo. Intelligent conversation every single day, I can make a mean cocktail, and if I happen to become violent, you could go and restrain me by force."

James bit the inside of his cheek. "As flattering and appealing that offer may be, the thought of spending more time with you than what I'm already getting is making me feel queasy at the moment. And besides, we don't have the resources available to perform that kind of high maintenance."

"How disappointing." Qrow laid down on his bed, turning away from him. "And I was hoping I could at least score a room with open windows."

"Not with your bird form still a factor."

"Aw, you remembered."

"Of course. It's why we have the cage on standby."

"Hehe. Good one." Qrow let out a sigh. "You know, James? The more I read you, the more you start showing how like your cover you are."

"Is that so?" James asked. "And what would that be, exactly? What is my cover like?"

"A King worthy of his throne."

Time froze. James felt a lump in his throat. It wasn't fair. He didn't get to say those things. Not now. Not when he was so close to being too far gone. Without even replying, James turned and stormed out of the room, making sure it locked tightly behind him. He hurried out of the holding facility, returning to his office and closing the door behind him and taking a seat at his desk, Qrow's words echoing over and over in his mind.

"A King worthy of his throne," he whispered. "And more and more, you look like you've fallen further."

"General Ironwood, sir?"

James didn't even hear the intercom sound. He pressed the button on the desk phone, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, Ciel?"

"We've gotten an alert from Signal Academy, sir," Ciel reported. "It seems Polendina has been located, along with Miss Rose and Miss Fall. What are our orders, sir?"

James managed a smile. "Tell Winter to gather Flynt, Neon, and Fenix. I want them over there as soon as possible to find out what's happening. Tell them their orders are 'Code Steel Blue'."

"Yes sir."

"And have Terra start going through the security cameras throughout the city over the last twelve hours. I want to know if there's been any recent activity from Harbinger."

"Right away, General."

Ciel hung up and James reached for his reading glasses. While the others attended their duties, he'd attend to his.

He still had a King to stabilize.


	3. Family

**_ Five Years Ago: The Three Bears Club _ **

**__ **

Roman Torchwick. Leader of one of the most nefarious gangs to terrorize the city since the Red Clan's Nameless Era. No one wanted him here. There was absolutely no reason for the leader of the Lanterns to show up at their new bar like this, unannounced and as if he owned the place.

Though he certainly didn't look like he did. Ratted bowler hat, patched up brown jacket, and a makeup job that screamed 'help I need better equipment', he looked rather pathetic for a fearsome criminal.

Regardless, Qrow had sent the rest of the clan to watch over the perimeter in case there were grunts waiting to storm his castle. Junior stayed beside him, arms crossed and a hard glare plastered on his face. This bozo had been giving his people a tough time of it the last few weeks. Couldn't be too careful.

Roman smiled, pulling out a chair for the young lady beside him. "Calm down. We don't want any money. We just wanna talk." The girl shot him a look and he chuckled. "Okay, I talk. Neo here is more of a listener."

"We didn't say you could stay," Junior growled. "Now get out of my club."

Qrow watched Roman's reaction. He could have sworn he saw his pupils dilate. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He wasn't gonna deny Junior was attractive, but he wasn't his type. Personally, Qrow preferred those outside of his territory.

Though he'd never say it out loud.

"Come on," Roman chuckled, taking a seat on the table. "Can't a man come an' try to make peace?"

"Peace?" Qrow scoffed, rolling up his navy sleeves. "This comin' from the punk that sent a hundred of his men to tear apart our old hideout? And to steal from our personal stash of cash? I was gonna send my nieces to college with that, you know. Them and the other kiddies we got flyin' in and out of here."

This seemed to surprise Roman. The ginger devil's cheeky smile faltered and he twirled his old cane in his hand absentmindedly. "Sorry. Didn't realize we were causing that much trouble."

"You should have thought of that before invading our turf."

"…Do you really need the turf though?

Qrow's entire body began to emit heat. "Seeing as I'm King, yes we do."

Roman let out a soft click of the tongue. "No, you really don't. And you don't need those powers either."

"What did you just say?"

"I mean, look at me!" He pointed at the door with his cane. "I have twice as many grunts as you and I didn't need no fancy powers to do it. I think it's safe to say, I'm better than you. You pompous, overstuffed, drunk-ass, pathetic bag of feathers and dildos."

And just like that, Qrow was storming over to Roman and lifting him up by the collar. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I could take you on here and now in a one on one fight and melt you down into a pile of molten flesh."

"The Sang-Craw in all his glory."

"Again with the Sang-Craw!"

"I'm sorry, would you prefer one-eyed, half-a-dick, flying feathered motherfucker?"

"That's it, I'm squishing this over bloated pumpkin!"

"Enough!" Junior grabbed Roman by the coat, lifting him from Qrow like a little kitten. "You're going to leave right now."

Roman stuck out his tongue, his limbs curling like a cat. "Not until I get my fight! You and me, winner take all, power e power!"

"You don't have any power!"

"He could give me some! Just for this one fight. You can do that, right?"

"Yeah, I can." Qrow smirked, his left hand glowing red. "Alright. You're on."

Qrow reached out and took Roman's hand in his glowing grip, a vivid, burning aura covering the both of them. Roman closed his eyes and smirked, letting out a content sigh as the warmth began to pulse through his bones. Qrow couldn't help but snicker. They always made that face feeling the power for the first time.  When the aura began to fade away, Qrow nodded for Junior to let him go. Roman touched the ground and looked between the two, lightly licking his lips as he rolled his shoulders.

"That was almost as good as sex," Roman hummed. "Now, where were we?"

Junior looked between them both. "You were going to fight?"

"Ah, right. Thanks baby bear."

Roman reached out and grabbed Qrow by the neck, lifting his knee hard right into his stomach. Another lift, and Qrow reached up to pull at his hair. Roman twirled his cane and hit Qrow in the groin. The King let out a squeak and collapsed to the floor, curled up on himself. Junior went to grab Roman, only for the ginger smartass to grab him by the tie with the handle and pulling him down for a kiss. The girl giggled silently and applauded.

"Well. That went better than expected." Roman shoved Junior back and went over to the bar, making himself comfortable on the counter. "So this club is mine now. And the territory and-" his eyes went wide as he saw his cane melt in his hands "-I'm gonna need to get a new cane."

Qrow let out a hiss as he tried to stand up. "That…that was-"

"So how do I use these King powers, Sang-Craw? I remember seeing you use the funny floaty sword and I wanna try it."

Junior helped Qrow to his feet. "You don't have all the powers, Torchwick. Just the ability to melt things and probably one other thing. Kings can't pass on the throne like that."

"Seriously?!" He looked over at the girl, mouth agape and burning with offence. "You told me I could get his powers if I beat him. What the hell, Neo? Your intel guy screwed us over." The girl shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Neo, come on. We did this to get the King's power! This was your plan- oh don't you flip me the bird, young lady!"

"Are you serious?" Qrow coughed. "You…you came in here, try to take over my hard earned part of the city with your gang, insult me, smack me in the nuts with your cane, take my territory in a bet, kissed my friend, and tricked me into giving you powers. All this to become the Red King?"

Roman shrugged, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Yeah, that, that was pretty much the plan. Kings get a lot of perks I hear and, uh, I don't know if you've noticed but Neo and I need new clothes. And we got a couple of guys who kinda need the medical coverage."

Qrow stared at him, shaking his head. This couldn't be real. This asshole had the balls to go this far to try and become a King? A _King?_ This smug little brat? He was insane. He was a bastard.

He was the kind of person he needed in the clan.

Qrow burst into laughter, limping over to the counter and grabbing the hat right off Roman's head, burning it to a crisp. Before Roman and Neo could protest, he pulled out his wallet and handed them all the Lien he was carrying. Junior's jaw went slack.

"Qrow, what are you doing?" Junior grabbed him by the shoulder. "You're just giving the guy that tricked you _money?"_

"Yeah. He earned it." Qrow looked between the two. "Alright, listen Torchwick. You give me back all the territory and I'll let you stay with Harbinger. You and any of your grunts that need it can stay in the apartments up above the Three Bears and I'll personally pay for your clothes and groceries until you get on your feet."

Roman narrowed his eyes. "Do I also get a make-up allowance?"

"Yes."

"And Neo can get whatever overpriced item at the mall she wants?"

"She gets her own monthly allowance for whatever she wants. And she has a job as soon as she finishes school."

"…Neo…gets to go to school?" He seemed genuinely surprised. "She gets to go to school?"

Qrow smiled and nodded. "You have to work with us though. And give us back the territory. Do that, and she gets a free ride to college just like my nieces and the other kids."

Neo smiled and ran over to him, hugging him tightly as tears began to fall. Qrow gave her a pat on the back. This wasn't the weirdest thing that's happened to him as King, but it certainly was up there. Roman seemed to relax as he hopped off the counter, pulling the girl into a tight embrace.

"Can I, uh," Roman stammered. "Can I ask for one more thing?"

"Sure. Anything."

He looked up at Junior, letting out a giggle. "Can I get a dinner date with you, sweet stuff?"

Junior rolled his eyes. "Sure. Why not?"

"Great." Qrow wiggled himself away and started heading toward the back. "Now, if you don't mind, I gotta go rest up. Tell the Lanterns I'll give them the initiation once I'm done icing myself."

"Why don't you ask Ironwood for help with that?" Junior teased. "Bluenose for your blue balls."

"Haha, very funny."

Qrow headed to the back and climbed up the stairs, heading straight to the top floor to his suite.

He needed a break.

 

* * *

 

**_ Today: The Three Bears Club _ **

 

**_"Hello, you've reached Harbinger. Please hold."_ **

**_"No we're not joking about the reward."_ **

**_"Okay, thank you for your time."_ **

Roman sat at the counter, pouting as yet another round of calls yielded no results. Ten of them had been about how they were thugs and people wanted to complain about them. Another several were questions about how to contact them if the number went dead. Others were confirmation on the prize money. No one seemed to have any information on the missing King.

That was fine though. At the very least, it meant people saw the video and were on the lookout. Hopefully this means they'd have Tai home soon.

With most of the clan out hunting for clues, that left him in charge of home base. Roman let out a sigh and set his hat on the counter, watching as Dee and Dudley tended to the phones. Junior was preparing him his afternoon drink. Besides them, the only other person there was Neo, who was sitting behind the counter texting away on her scroll with a smile, her tongue sticking out as she focused on the task at hand. And for the most part, it was quiet.

It was just too quiet.

"Hey Neo?" Roman asked. "Can you stick on something a little perky? Just to kinda fit the mood?"

Neo nodded and reached under the counter and pulled out a bb pistol, taking aim at the jukebox and firing without even looking up from her phone. The machine whirred to life, slowly distorted noise, and then began to sing.

**_"Father, father, unforgiveable. This is my house, you made it personal-"_ **

Roman shrugged and pulled out his scroll. Wasn't the song he had in mind, but it certainly helped elevate the downer mood that was causing him to sink. It felt like only yesterday he'd walked into this place in rags, and now he was one of the King's most trusted confidents. So much so, he practically got what he originally came for.

He was in charge of Harbinger territory.

And it did not feel good at all.

Junior set the drink in front of him, nodding at the entrance. "We got company."

Roman looked behind him, letting out an annoyed snort as he got up and circled around the counter. "Take the calls upstairs, baby bear. I'll handle this."

Junior nodded and motioned for Dee, Dudley, and Neo to follow him. The four hurried out of the bar just as a swirling black and red portal to grow to full size. He downed his drink and began to put away the good product.

"You want a drink?" Roman called. "I can make you a cosmo, martini, maybe a gin and-"

A sword flew through the portal and went right through the jukebox, silencing it for good.

"Non-alcoholic then?"

"Torchwick!"

"We got soda, O.J., purple stuff-"

**_"SHUT UP!"_ **

"Geez, Raven. Calm your-"

Roman went quiet as a knife appeared against his throat. He didn't move. Knowing the Grey King, she was beyond angry. Not that he'd blame her.

"You let my brother go into custody?" Raven hissed. "And that stunt in the shopping district?"

"All part of Qrow's idea," he assured. "This is gonna go okay. We'll find Taiyang and-"

"You already found Ruby and the little fucker that stole Ozpin's cane and didn't tell me. You seriously expect me to trust you to find the Gold King?"

Dammit. Dammit all. Fucking shit in a handbag. "Yes. Because this was your brother's plan. You trust him, don't you?"

"You seriously don't know me." She backed away setting the knife down on the counter. "Top shelf. Haunted Royal's Blood. Pint glass."

Roman sighed and pulled out the step stool. "It really should be poured in a wine glass, given that it's wine."

"Fuck you."

Raven sat down, her fingers dancing along the handle. The tension slowly built as he poured her the drink, watching as the blue filled the glass. Taking in her posture, he could tell she was trying to hold in her rage. Something she was failing at, given the increasing darkness. Roman tried to block out the screams of his body telling him to run. There had to be something he could say to her. Ease her desire to give him the Jukebox special.

Sadly, his brain was upstairs with the phones.

"Here you are." He set the glass in front of her, creating a barrier between her and the knife. "One Haunted Royal's Pint."

"Thanks." She grabbed the glass and chugged, letting out a sigh as she finished. "Another."

"You know these go for nearly a thousand Lien per bottle?"

"Put it on my tab."

"You still need to pay the last tab."

"I'll wire the money."

"Yeah right."

"You doubt me?" Raven snarled. "I don't know if you noticed, but it's _my_ family being torn asunder. If I say I'm going to pay my tab, I'll pay my tab." She leaned forward slightly, her eyes starting to turn grey. "Hell, I'll double the amount I owe if you Harbinger geeks back out."

Roman slammed the bottle right in front of her, silently thanking god that it didn't shatter. " _My_ Clan. _My_ family. I'm working my ass off to keep things running. And my King ordered me to find Tai." He got right up into her face, taking the knife before she could grab it. "By. Any. Means. Now take the bottle and go. If I see you in here again, I'm calling ATLAS. I'm sure they'd like to know why you're involved with underground weapons trades." He tossed the knife behind him into the sink. "And I'm keeping the knife."

"…Fine." Raven stood up and grabbed the bottle. "I already sent some people over to the school to grab Ruby. I'll be back to pick up Yang later."

Roman gripped the counter tightly, biting his tongue as he watched her saunter over to draw her sword from the machine. Sparks flew and the box made a few sputtering screeches. A slice in the air and the Grey King vanished into another portal. The box managed one last line before it fell in on itself.

 **_"It’s always trouble when they go too far_ ** **_  
Nobody mess with my familia."_ **

"Dammit," he mumbled. He reached into his pocket for his scroll and began typing.

_'All available Harbinger Clansmen to Signal Academy. Rose spotted. Apprehend her and the boy with the cane.'_

 

* * *

**__ **

**_ One Month and Two Weeks Ago: ATLAS Headquarters - Strain Medical Testing Facility _ **

****

"Alright Penny. Once more, alright? We're almost done."

"Okay father!"

The song began again. A few deep breathes, a focused mind, and a quick count. Penny held out her hands and imagined the strings connected to her finger tips. She could feel the static buzzing along her arms, a light, faded electric green covering her nails as the blades started to float in the air. She smiled, stepping back and spinning around on the tips of her toes. The knives flew around her as she waved her hands. Spinning around and circled by, the tips scraped along the floor and slowly began to move upwards around her. She focused on one hand and raised it, the blades turning elegantly in floral patterns.

"So far so good, Penny," the voice on the speakers called. "Now, try to hit the targets."

"Yes father!"

Parts of the ceiling began to open, and the target drones began to fly towards her. Penny smirked and wiggled her fingers, sending one of the drones to the floor in a pile of parts. A jump back, a clap of her hands, and the knives spun around into the laser formation she'd been practicing. Her palms began to burn and she threw her fists forward. The blast absorbed into the blades and fired forward, burning down the rest of the drones in a fiery green inferno.

"Well done Penny!" her father cheered. "That was amazing! A new record!"

Penny smiled as the room reset, giving a cheerful curtsey to the observation deck mirrors. "Thank you father! Do you think I'll be ready to attend normal school now?"

"We'll see. Come on up here and let's go over your scores, okay?"

"Okay!"

Penny left the testing room and skipped along the corridor to the observation deck. Her father had promised to let her attend the local school in the Gold Clan territory if she passed her tests. Strain's powers tended to be unstable, and she wanted to be able to go be a normal girl without hurting anyone. She trained hard. Harder than anyone else she knew. And now? Now she was certain she'd get to be just like other girls.

And the best part was that Ruby would be at school too. She always loved seeing Ruby. Bright smiles and cookies and berries and tea time and comics. They could paint their nails, try on cute clothes, and even talk about cute boys. At least, that's what she was told is what other kids her age did. That's what it said in the magazines she'd read in Ozpin's office outside of meetings. Who knows what she'd learn once she got to go outside of Beacon Tower and ATLAS.

_Maybe I can stay in Ruby's dorm at the school! That would be great! Oh, I need to convince father that I can stay in the dorms. This will be sen-sational! I just know it!_

"Father! What was my score on the-"

When Penny opened the door to the observation deck, everything seemed to freeze. The lights were out, with the only sources coming from the one-way mirrors, the doorway, and the consoles. The harsh smell metals filled her senses as she saw the pool of red on the floor. Her father lay in the red, his hand reaching out for her as his eyes began to glaze over in listless fear.

And standing over him, dressed head to toe in black and their face covered, was the assailant holding a long, black blade.

"Penny," her father coughed, spitting up blood. "R-run! Get away!"

Penny didn't even have to wait for him to finish before turning away and bolting back towards the training room. The assailant gave chase, the blade shattering and morphing into two as they picked up speed. Penny made it to the training room and locked the door behind her, punching the keycard reader as hard as she could before ripping it out of the wall. She knew it wasn't smart to lock herself in the room, but it was where her weapons were. And she needed to defend herself.

Penny ran over to the armory and pulled out her backpack, focusing on her blades and making them fold and shrink down to fit into it. As she slipped on the straps, she could feel the temperature rising inside. She glanced back at the door, horrified as it was melting away. The assailant stepped over the molten metal remains, slowly approaching Penny as a deep red aura began to surround them.

"If you don't wish to meet the same fate as your father," the assailant warned, voice distorted from their mask, "you will come with me right now."

Penny's eyes darted around as she tried to find a way out. If she could slip past the masked attacker, she could get out of the building. But how? She didn't know if she was ready to try and hurt someone, even if it was self defense. What could she-

_Wait, that's it!_

**_"ACTIVATE PRIME DIRECTIVE 31-10-13!"_ **

The alarms began to scream, shaking the building to its core. Penny covered her ears and tried not to cry as the noise caused the windows to shatter. The assailant covered their ears and wailed, dropping their weapons as the mirror hit the floor. When Penny saw the assailant fall to their knees in agony, she focused on two of the blades, using them to propel herself back up into the observation deck. She struggled not to collapse from agony, watching as her father was trying to crawl out of the room.

"Father!" she called, her voice barely heard over the sirens. She knelt beside him and tried to wrap an arm around his body. "Come on! We need to go!"

"I can't," he coughed. "Go. Now."

"But-"

Her father slipped something into her hand, gripping it tightly and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I love you."

The alarms went off as he let her go, his last breath fading into barely a whimper. Penny's eyes filled with tears as she looked at what she had handed him. In her hand was a small green gear, embellished with golden details and hanging from a gold chain. She didn't have time to try and carry her father out of there. She bit her lip, laid him down, and closed his eyes before putting on the chain. With one last goodbye, she ran out of the observation deck and down toward the exit.

And she ran. Ran as far and fast out of there as she could.

Penny ignored the cries of ATLAS Clansmen calling out for her to stop. She ignored the closing gate, using a wayward blast from her hand to shoot it open. When someone tried to grab her, she felt a crushing feeling over her body before a snap, and soon found herself another thirty meters away from where she last was. She didn't stop to analyze it. She kept going. Kept going. The voice in her mind screamed for her to keep running. She felt the world pull and shrink around her. Things stretched and snapped like elastic bands around her body.

And she kept running. Running and running until the fear and tension in her body built up. With one long breath she let out a long, high pitched cry. The ringing of bells in her ears kept her from turning back. She focused on those. Chased after those. Where there were bells, there was safety, right? Surely she'd find somewhere safe to be soon.

Penny kept running until she couldn't feel her legs anymore. She started to slow down, stumbling and tripping over herself as she tried to get air. There was nothing more she could do. She was away from ATLAS. Away from her attacker.

Away from…

Penny fell forward, hiding behind a bush before curling up into a ball and hugging her knees. Her father was gone. She couldn't go back. Not with the risk of the assailant in black still being there. It was dark. It was cold. And she was all alone. Penny closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep, feeling smaller than she ever had before.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Three Weeks Ago: Ren Family Home _ **

 

Amber sat quietly in her seat in her favorite green dress, trying to hold back the urge to cry as Li held her hand. It wasn't fair. Two kings were missing. The only mother she'd ever known was dead, her only father leaving her. The Colorless Clan was at its end and she was the only person who was trying to keep Kuroyuri going. But being the only member left, she had a lot of work ahead of her.

"Please don't go," Amber whispered. "Please."

Li smiled weakly, squeezing her hand slightly. "It will be alright. It's simply the end of my story. It is not the end of yours."

She shook her head, her throat tightening with every word. "It may as well be. You're the only real father I ever had. I had nothing before and now…and now you're-"

"Shh. It's alright, Amber."

She bit her lip, remembering the call that evening. A storm, worse than anything any of them could have imagined. She'd nearly fallen asleep in the study working on her essays. So close to graduation. So close. And when Li and An had told her and the others they were going out to the store, she just had to ask for new pencils.

They didn't see the truck coming.

"This is all my fault," she whimpered. "I shouldn't have let you drive that day. I shouldn't have asked for pencils. I-"

"It's all in the past now. Don't cry over this." He reached up, his hand trembling slightly as he wiped away a stray tear. "My time was coming soon anyway. It is better this way." He closed his eyes, inhaling as deeply as he could. "Where are your siblings?"

"In the other room. Nora had to get something to drink and Lie went with her."

"Alright." He glanced at the nightstand, his eyes lingering on the family photo before focusing on the drawer. "I left each of you a letter. Read them later. I've left you all instructions for…for…"

Li turned inward, coughing heavily as he tried not to shake. Amber let out a gasp and reached out, catching him and holding him steady. Seeing him like this hurt her deeply.

He seems so small now.

Li managed to regain control of himself and let out a shaky sigh. "Go get Lie and Nora. I…I need to go outside. Please."

"Y-yes, of course. Hold on!"

Amber carefully laid Li back down and hurried out of the room. Her heart pounded in her ears. She found Lie helping Nora fix the hem of her pink skirt as she sipped a glass of water. Their eyes were puffy and dried out from crying. She didn't want to disturb them but…

"Lie? Nora? Li wants outside. Help me?"

The two looked at her and nodded, nearly tumbling to the floor after her as thy hurried back to Li's room. None of them had to talk. Lie and Amber took his arms, lifting Li onto their shoulders as Nora got out the family picnic blanket from the closet and rushed out ahead of them, staying only a few steps in front in case she needed to catch them. A gentle, soothing glow began to cover all four of them as Li looked up toward the ceiling.

He had activated his Sword.

Nora opened the door to the back yard and began to lay out the blanket before jumping back to help them carry Li over. Amber held him up as Lie took his spot on the blanket, legs folded to hold his father's head like a pillow. Once the Colorless King was comfortable, Nora and Amber took their places. Lie closed his eyes, steadying his breathing as the clouds above were lit ablaze.

High above them were two Swords, with blades identical in shape. One was pale and shattering, resembling a broken mosaic of life and vibrance. The one beside it was clean and powerful, holding up what was left of the shattered splendor of the other as an aurora covered the sky. Soon a red broadsword was summoned overhead. A silver joined after. Blue. Grey. Black.

Gold and green did not appear.

"It was worth a try," Li croaked. "I had hoped that…Ozpin and Taiyang would see this."

"You did your best, dad," Nora muttered.

Lie nodded. "You took action. You lived up to your title."

Li smiled, his hand reaching up and brushing aside the pink streak of hair. "And you will live up to yours, Prismatic King." He turned his eyes to the sky, tears falling down his cheeks. "You three have made me so proud. Your mother and I love you."

Amber nodded, finally breaking. "We love you too."

"We love you dad," Nora whispered, curling up beside him.

"We love you so much," Lie cried.

With one last breath, Li's eyes began to close. The pale sword slowly began to break into stardust, swirling downwards toward the city in a light flurry. The three kids held their father in their arms as they said their goodbyes. The other Kings' blades faded from the sky, leaving behind a faded trail of light.

The book of Li Ren, the reign of the Colorless King, came to an end.

 

* * *

 

 

Amber sat alone in her room that evening as Lie, who asked to be called Ren henceforward, and Nora worked on cooking dinner. Holding the letter Li had left her in her hands, Amber's emotions sent the weather outside to storm. Thunder raged through the skies as torrents of raindrops hammered against the tiles of the roof.

She couldn't stop reading the note. It played in her head on repeat. Beside her on the bed was a green gear with white detailing hanging from a silver chain that had come with it, and a little brooch that resembled autumn leaves.

_'To my dear daughter Amber,_

_If you are reading this, it means my reign has come to a close. Originally, I had intended on Lie taking over as head of our Clan. However, when his powers manifested, those plans changed. I do not know who will become the new Colorless King. What I do know is that whoever it is must not be one who walks as though their charges are beneath them. I am leaving you a tool to guide you. Use this to find my successor, and continue on the path I had hoped you and your siblings would follow._

_The day you came to live with us was one of the happiest days I've ever had the blessing to experience. You brought so much happiness and joy to our home, and watching you grow with your abilities has made your mother and I so proud._

_My story may have come to an end, but yours is just beginning. Take action. Stay kind. And remember that you will never walk this path alone. You will always have your family by your side._

_Take care my little storm bringer._

_With Love,  
Li Ren.'_

"I'll do my best father," she whispered. "I promise."

Setting down the letter, Amber rushed to her closet and began to pack. She changed out of her dress and into a blouse and vest. A pair of jeans, her boots, and the cape An had sewn for her on her thirteenth birthday. As she pinned the brooch onto her cape, she stared at herself in the mirror, and the reality of the situation began to hit her.

She was leaving home.

_What do I do now? she pondered. Do I tell Ren and Nora? Do I stay for dinner and sneak out? Do I leave now? What should I-_

_**"Figured you might be running off."** _

Amber turned around, nearly jumping as she saw her siblings standing in the doorway. Ren had on his favorite apron, and in his hands was a large lunch box. Nora had changed into her pajamas, carrying a stuffed Ursa plush while holding up a wad of Lien. She ran over to them, pulling them both into a tight embrace.

"I promise I'll come home soon," she vowed. "I'll find my King and we can be a family again."

Ren shook his head. "No you won't."

"You'll find your King and keep in touch with us," Nora chided. "None of this 'family again' crap. Always family. Always."

Amber smiled and nodded. "Right. Always family. From Dust to Dust and to the end."

"Take Action, Amber. And don't ever give up."

"I promise."

Nora and Ren helped Amber finish packing her bag, making sure she had plenty of money for her search. If she needed anything, old Clansmen would come to her aid. She knew this. And she always had the Prismatic Clan to look out for her. She hauled her bag onto her back and began to head out, stopping one more time to hug them goodbye.

"I'll be back," she whispered. "I'll come back to you. Because…"

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Because?"

Amber smiled. "Because when I'm with you…I'm at home."

Without another word, Amber kissed them both on the cheek and hurried out.

She had a long trail to follow.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Today: Signal Academy Dorms _ **

**__ **

Oscar was completely shocked. No one spoke after Amber and Penny finished their stories. Oscar could easily guess what happened next. Penny had fallen asleep outside his dorm. Amber's hunt for her King led her here. The only one he needed to ask was Ruby. But after all that, he felt sick.  

"Can we," he stammered. "Can we take a break for a bit? I need to, uh…process this."

"I think that's a good idea," Amber mumbled. "Mind if I, uh-"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." Amber got up and made her way to the window, sitting on the rail and looking out across the campus.

Penny sat in the corner of the room, hugging her knees and biting her lip slightly. "Do you still have that gear, Amber?"

"Yeah, I do." She reached under the cape and held up the gear from her chain. "My King said it would help me but…so far it hasn't done anything."

"Same with mine." Penny pulled out hers, holding it up to the light. "I don't know why my father had it, but it seems important.

Ruby held up her hand. "Can I take a look?"

Amber shrugged and tossed it over to her. "Sure. Go ahead."

"Here Ruby." Penny held hers out.

"Thanks." she motioned for Zwei to climb into her lap and let him sniff. "Food should be here soon."

"That's good," Oscar said.

Amber's eyes went wide. "No it's not good. We're not staying." She left the window and closed the glass and curtains. "ATLAS and Harbinger are here."

"What?!" Penny jumped to her feet and started pacing. "Not good. Not good. Not, not good. If ATLAS finds me they'll take me back to where father died and I-"

Oscar hurried over to her, gripping her shoulders gently. "Relax Penny. We got this. We just have to sneak out before they find my room."

Ruby stood up, handing back the gears. "That might be a problem. The mean looking girl that was chasing me? Pretty sure she saw me come in here."

Amber glared at her, wind picking up slightly. "White hair in a bun, blue eyes, looks constipated?"

"You saw her too?"

"Winter Schnee," Penny muttered. "This isn't good at all."

"She brought Flynt and Neon too," Amber added. "I just saw them bickering with Reese and Nadir." She aimed her hand at the window and a thick layer of ice began to cover it. "Seeing as I need you for my investigation Pine, we'll need to work together to get out of here. Is there a way out?"

Oscar closed his eyes and tried to think. "Besides the fire escape at the end of the hall and the front…the only other thing I can think of is the roof. If we can get up there we can probably run to the roof of the gym and then take one of the backways out. But in order to get up there we'd have to sneak upstairs without being seen."

Penny smiled and held out her hands, three blades emerging from her backpack. "I can cut a hole upwards. There's no one above us so we won't hurt anyone."

"Zwei and I can distract them," Ruby added. "We can all meet up at Calavera Gardens and hide out there."

"I don't know where that is," Oscar muttered.

"Then take Zwei." Ruby handed him the corgi. "He'll show you the way." She skipped over to the door, throwing them one more smile. "Meet me there by midnight, okay? And freeze the door behind me."

Oscar watched her leave before stepping aside so Amber could get to work. Penny was already halfway through cutting their way upwards as quietly as possible. He set Zwei down and tried to pack as fast as he could. If they were on the run, he didn't want to be without a change of clothes.

_Wait…I can't bring any of my stuff. Can I? They're looking for me. Maybe…_

"Oscar?" Penny took the bag from his arm and finished packing for him. "It's okay. We'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Oscar asked.

Penny smiled and wrapped her arm around him. "We've managed so far, right?" She looked around the room one more time before sending a few blades upwards. "I'll miss this place."

Oscar held on tight, nodding in agreement. "But we can come home after this is all over, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we can. Maybe."

"Keep that optimism," Amber said. "You're gonna need it."

The sounds of crashing and shouting from outside caused them all to jump. Amber grabbed Zwei and flew up. Penny and Oscar followed soon after and they took off, making their way to the roof and toward the gym.

"Wait," Oscar panted. "Where's this Calavera place we're going again?"

"It's in the historical district," Amber said. "I don't know where exactly though. But, uh…" she looked at the corgi, who just stared up at her with a dazed look. "Ruby said he knows. And if not, we'll look it up on the scrolls after we're off campus?"

"Okay. Right. That should be fine."

Amber skidded to a halt, throwing an arm out to stop them. A swirling mess of swirling darkness appeared in front of them. A figure slowly stepped out, dressed clad in black from head to toe, their face hidden completely by a mask of Grimm.

This wasn't fine at all.


End file.
